


Frightful Date

by infectedscrew



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Damian being over protective, First Date, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-07 00:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6775885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infectedscrew/pseuds/infectedscrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A night in Gotham never goes according to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frightful Date

It had never ended this badly. Normally a bruise here or a cut there. This time, everything, every nerve, felt like it had been stabbed with molten iron and twisted. His lungs burned with each intake of air. Waves of nausea rolled over, taking the very last bits of will to stop himself from throwing his nonexistent lunch against the alley floor. The few seconds of relief between waves as all he had to remember why he was even there in the first place.

For once, he hadn’t started the fight. He had tried to help, to save a victim. Instead he had become the victim. That was the last time he tried to help anyone in North Gotham. Obviously, it was never going to end well and none of them were ever grateful for it.

He sucked in a rattling breath only to wince as he felt shards of air stab at his lungs. The wince pulled at the bruises on his face; adding a whole other level of pain. He could just stop breathing. That might make it easier.

Just as everything was starting to tilt to the left, he realized two very important things. First, was that it was raining and he might be slightly cleaner for it. And second, Damian was going to kill him.

—

“I can’t find him, Grayson,” Damian snapped into the cell phone. Why the fool used cell phones instead of the ear pieces his father invented, he would never understand. “I’ve searched all over south Gotham.”

There was a pause on the other side before Dick spoke again.

“Why would he be in North Gotham? I told him we were to meet in Central. That’s where that silly ice cream parlor is,” Damian complained, turning on the spot and searching through the bushes for the second time. “Yes, he knows Wayne Tower is in North. Everyone knows that.”

Dick stated something quite clear.

Damian’s eyes narrowed. “Now that is foolish,” he retorted. “Why would he come to meet me? I told him implicitly that I would find him in Central.” A snort left him. “Fine, I’ll search North. Good bye, Grayson.” He brutally ended the phone call and rammed the device into his pocket.

“So, to North we go?”

Damian looked over at Tim Drake, who was leaning against a car waiting patiently for him. “Yes, Drake,” he sighed. “Apparently, Grayson thinks Colin might be there.”

Tim nodded and slid into the car, oddly without a fight. Apparently, the chance that someone was in danger made him more amiable. The thought made Damian roll his eyes. Drake was only doing this because Dick had dragged him aside and muttered some choice words. Whatever they were, it made Drake blush and eagerly agree to drive Damian around Gotham searching for Colin.

It didn’t take long for them to get to North Gotham. Now was the hard part. Where would they search?

“Why not start at the transit station and walk toward Wayne Tower,” Tim suggested.

Damian glanced at him. With a word, he turned toward the transit station. He had to let it be known that he was doing this of his own accord and not because Drake had suggested it.

The path from the transit station to Wayne Tower was long and often boring. Tonight, however, it was rife with excitement, but none of it the good kind.

“Damian?” Tim called, he had paused at the mouth of an alley and was staring down it, eyes wide. “Is that Colin?” He asked, lifting a hand an pointing.

In an instant, Damian was next to Drake. His own eyes widened before he let out a beautiful string of Arabic, cursing to all the gods. “Drake, get the car,” he commanded before darting down the alleyway. “Colin? Colin, open your eyes.”

He knelt down next to the red head, carefully shifting him into his arms. “Colin,” he breathed, finding far more blood than he was comfortable with.

Colin moved slightly. “Damian?” He asked, groggy. “I’m not late, am I?”

Damian shook his head. “No, you’re early, just as you usually are.”

Colin sighed in relief. “Good. Ice cream sounds so good right now,” he mumbled before his body sagged and he was lost to the world.

Between Damian and Tim, they managed to get Colin settled into the back of the car. In seconds, they were speeding between traffic. The entire trip back to the Manor, Damian sat, worrying over Colin.

“Damian, be careful,” Dick chided, resting the tray of soup onto the nightstand. “You sit any closer and you’ll practically be crushing him.”

Damian snorted but didn’t move. “The fool got himself into a fight,” he muttered, glowering at Colin.

Almost as soon as Damian and Tim had gotten Colin to the Manor, Alfred had whisked the boy down to the Bat Cave for some, rather extensive, treatment. The butler refused to let anyone down to see until he was completely done. By the time Alfred had emerged from below, Damian had paced a hole into the carpet, punched Tim twice and thrown a book at Dick’s head.

“You’re telling Damian to calm down?” Tim asked, arching an eyebrow. “That’s a first.”

Dick shot Tim a look that clearly stated now was not the time. Moving away from the youngest males, Dick grabbed Tim and steered him out of the Cave. “If you need anything, just call, Damian,” Dick said over his shoulder.

There was no response from Damian and the older two disappeared.

For a long moment of silence, Damian sat next to Colin, watching his chest rise and fall in the peaceful pattern of sleep. His blue eyes, so very much like his father’s, were narrowed to an intense gaze. There was no way Colin was getting out of his site now.

As if knowing that someone was watching, Colin stirred, his face scrunching in annoyance. He mumbled something. Then, slowly, green eyes opened.

“Damian…?” Colin mumbled, reaching up to rub at his face.

Damian’s eyes narrowed. “What were you doing in that alley?” He demanded, only offering a moments respite.

Colin’s hand paused and he stared at Damian with wide eyes. “I, well, I… There was someone in trouble–”

“Yes, you,” he interrupted, shoving off of the bed.

“No,” Colin replied, his eyebrows snapping down. “There was someone getting robbed and I tried to help. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You got injured! You foolishly believed you could help and now you’re lying on a bed with a sprained wrist.”

Colin sat up so fast his world spun but it didn’t stop him from glaring. “That’s better than death, isn’t it?” He questioned. “That woman could have died if I didn’t help. Those thugs could have decided the pearls were better than the purse.”

“You are not a hero, Colin!” Damian threw his arms out. “You are just a kid.”

Colin bristled, his shoulders tightening. “You’re just a kid, too!” He pointed out. “What’s the difference between you and me? Your stupid training? There’s nothing special about that. What makes you a hero is whether or not you go out of your way to help people.” The last three words were ground out with so much force, Damian almost took a step back.

Almost.

Instead he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Colin…”

“Don’t patronize me, Damian!” Colin snapped at him, threatening to get out of bed.

Damian moved forward, catching his shoulders and keeping him in place. “I’m not!” He finally retorted. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt!”

Colin stilled, his eyes widening. “You… I… What?” He looked up, disbelief written all over his features.

Damian glowered at a spot just over Colin’s shoulder. “You don’t have my training, Colin. That means that you could get seriously injured or worse.” Slowly, he dragged his gaze to Colin’s face. “I, honestly, couldn’t tell you what I would do if you were lost to me.”

Colin blinked. “Damian, I…” He bit his lower lip. In a movement almost too quick for Damian, the orphan surged forward and wrapped his arms around Damian. The hug was brutal and the youngest Wayne thought he might wake up with bruises tomorrow. “Damian! I won’t ever leave you, I can’t,” he cried into Damian’s stomach.

Awkwardly, Damian curled his arms around Colin’s shoulders. “I know, Colin, I know,” he whispered. “I won’t ever leave you either.”

A long moment passed where the two young men simply held each other. Never, at any other time in his life, had Damian felt more calm than this moment.


End file.
